Legend of the Leather Bridge

There is a legend of the Leather Bridge (German: Sage von der Ledernen Brücke) in several regions of Germany and Switzerland. The word lederne could also have meant "ladder" or "lantern".

According to legend, there was once a leather bridge crossing the Elmstein valley between the Palatine castle of Erfenstein, high above the left bank of the Speyerbach river, and a second castle, Spangenberg, on the opposite side of the valley. Two brothers, or at least two close friends, who visited each other frequently, decided to build the bridge in order to avoid having to take the difficult path through the valley between the two castles and over the then wild River Speyerbach.

Their friendship continued for many years. But one day the two lords, having feasted together at the Spangenberg again, began a heated argument. No doubt, an excess of wine had contributed to the situation. One word led to another and finally the Erfenstein lord, beside himself with rage, returned over the bridge, having shouted loudly, "I will never come back!" Equally furious, the lord of Spangenberg roared after him, "You don't need to; I'll see to that!" And when the lord of Erfenstein reached the middle of the bridge, Spangenberg cut the leather straps with his sword. The bridge fell into the depths and the lord of Erfenstein plunged to his death. One source records that the dispute was because one lord, who was a bachelor and the golden-haired wife of his brother had fallen in love and the bridge was used for their trysts.

Ever after this murder there was bitter enmity between the owners of the two castles and they damaged one another whenever they could.

The historic background to the legend is that the two castles were always owned by different overlords – initially Spangenberg to the Speyer prince-bishop and Erfenstein to the counts of Leiningen – who in were always in competition with one another. When, later, their ownership changed, a conflict broke out, the Weißenburg Feud, between Elector Frederick I of the Palatinate and his cousin, Duke Louis I of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. As a result both castles were destroyed in 1470; first, Erfenstein, and then, Spangenberg.

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